The Role of White Supremacy and Colonialism in Issues Related to Cultural Adversity in the United States of America

CLVD 101

Prof. Anderson

5/14/05

The Role of White Supremacy and Colonialism in Issues Related to Cultural Adversity in the United States of America

Introduction:

"Here is not merely a nation, but a teeming nation of nations". These famous words, which were spoken, by the famed author and poet Walt Whitman is a perfect way to describe our ever changing melting pot society, which we call America. Something's that will be covered in this paper is different peoples and why they came to the U.S. white Supremacist Groups in the United States, which is how whites treated anything non white. Institutionalized Racism in relation to the cultural Universals which is still some ways non whites are treated poorly today. And last my insights in relation to cultural diversity

Multiculturalism in the United States:

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free". Engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty are the words from Emma Lazarus' poem Colossi…readily come to my mind when thinking about immigration. Through out history there have been many reasons for people to migrate to America, and among the top of these reasons are political freedom, and economic opportunities, which consist of people wanting more money and better jobs for a better life. One main source of immigration to America was the British, even though a large amount of them were already here from the colonial days, the number of immigrants increased during the mid 1800s. Mostly because of better opportunities offered here, although, all were not completely impoverished. Some were educated and many were professionals, independent farmers and skilled workers who came as well. The British were quickly able to find work because of their (white) background and because of their transferable skills. Many of these immigrants settled in places like Virginia, which led to many more farmers. The British farmers were in high population throughout the tobacco cropping areas which were very popular throughout Europe. However, none of the immigrants that came to America form Europe came close to the immigration of the Africans.

Slavery was the largest form of immigration to this country, which was meant for economic help. Unlike the British who came to this country on their own free will, the Africans were captured and forced to come to America. Once here they were deprived of the rights which white Americans had. The slaves mostly lived in the south on huge plantations where they harvested crops, especially cotton and tobacco. These slaves were degraded in every manor, they were not allowed to have any form of schooling, since slave owners thought that an education would empower the slaves to upraise against their bondage. For the Africans there was no such thing as the American dream . If fact owners of enormous plantations could just buy or sell slaves at an auction, like a material item and the slaves were thought of as just property. Many slaves became self-taught in spite of adversity, reading and writing. There are many African American slaves who became famous writers and other prominent figures. Like Frederick Douglass who was born into slavery in Virginia. Even though this stopped him from achieving many things he was gifted a well spoken an orator and writer.

Another group of people which immigrated to America was the Chinese they were the first Asian immigrants to enter the United States. For them large scale immigration began in the 1880's as well as others due to the California Gold Rush and the construction of the transcontinental railroad. The Central Pacific railroad undertook part of the construction of the railroad and decided to employ Chinese immigrants because they felt that the people who built the Great Wall of China could most defiantly build a railroad. But for the Chinese the railroad was a curse as much as a blessing, accidents; avalanches and explosions were the cause of many Chinese deaths while working on the railroad. The Chinese however were not always widely received by the Americans. It was a much larger group of Chinese coolies, or unskilled laborers, who migrated to the United States which made the American attitudes change. These Chinese clustered into groups working hard and living meagerly. As their population in the United States grew they formed into large Chinese cities called Chinatowns all over the country. These cities were often over crowded slum areas infested with crime.

In the first decade after the discovery of gold many had taken jobs no one else wanted or that were considered too dirty to work. Non-Asians spurred sentiments that the "rice eaters" were to blame for the lack of well paying jobs. Acts of violence against the Chinese was the response, mob violence began to increase against the Chinese, even employers were at risk. Eventually laws, such as the Chinese exclusion act of 1882 restricted immigration of Chinese immigrants into the U.S.

The next were the Japanese and by the 1900's the majority of half of all Japanese immigrants in the world living in the U.S., lived in Hawaii. Most were farmers and farm laborers immigrating for a temporary stay. The Japanese relations with the larger society were to some extent shaped by the fact that they followed in the wake of the Chinese. The Japanese began in the same fashion, and were initially welcomed as substitutes for the Chinese as coolie labor. Their rising advancement and success, however, soon lumped them together with the Chinese as the "yellow peril" that threatened the living standard of American workers, businessmen, and American society in general. When they first arrived, the Japanese gained their initial foothold in agriculture by working as agriculture laborers for lower wages than whites, and then acquiring farms by paying more than whites for land. On December 7, 1941, Japan's attack on pearl harbor set the stage for a troubling landmark in the history of Japanese Americans. Anti Japanese feelings ran high, especially on America's mainland. In February 1942, Americans began to urge the evacuation of all Japanese American citizens. They felt Japanese were the enemy and whether they had been assimilated or not. A series of civilian exclusion orders were put into play, which directed the exclusion of all people of Japanese ancestry. Other were placed into interment camps, the justification for the relocation of Japanese Americans into these camps was the fear of espionage or sabotage from enemy aliens. It was allegedly more difficult to distinguish loyal Japanese Americans from Japanese loyal to the emperor of Japan and it took until 1988 for congress to formally apologize on behalf of the United States and authorized restitution for surviving internees.

The Mexicans were another notable group which immigrated to the U.S. With the expansion of cattle ranches in Texas and New Mexico, and the increase of fruit bearing production in California in the years 1850 and 1880, which required a major amount of manual labor, a problem the ranchers intend to fix by importing manual labor. With the construction of the railroad between Mexico and the U.S. between 1880 and 1890, great quantities of Mexican workers, which found more work possibilities in America, got jobs as railway workers. But the first wave of migrant workers to the U.S. were comprised of experienced miners, work hands from the cattle ranches, indentured servants which were fleeing Mexican traditional farms and small independent producers whom were affected by natural disasters. But in 1920 the leaving of any worker to the U.S. was not permitted without a contract, signed by an immigration official, which specified the rate of pay, work schedule, place of employment and other related conditions. In 1924, by agreement of the U.S. Congress, The Border Patrol was founded. Making any immigrant not meeting these conditions illegal, and punishable by law. Ethnic groups such as the British, Africans, Chinese, Japanese and Mexicans, even though they were not always accepted by American, and have been ill-treated, have been the economic back bone of America, which with out could not flourish.

White Supremacist Groups in the United States:

African Americans have suffered through years of violent crimes against them because of the white man's ethnocentric views of themselves when compared with other races and cultures. White supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, and the Aryan Nation were formed. They took pride in their racist and essentially bigot ideas and African Americans felt the impact of these attitudes. The Ku Klux Klan, better known as the KKK, was started in Tennessee in 1866. The people who believed in "White Pride" came together against the advancement of African Americans, Jews, and other minorities. The KKK members were very violent and used harsh actions to get their views across, their actions were supported by their strong belief in their religion and their culture. The name Ku Klux Klan comes from the Greek word kuklos, meaning circle and the oldest symbol of unity is a circle. Throughout the latter part of the of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, African Americans were discriminated against, beaten, and had violent crimes committed against them by whites primarily do to these feelings of superiority. The Ku Klux Klan became exclusively known for their violence against people outside the white race and people who associated with them. However the Ku Klux Klan became a greater voice in society than ever expected. The KKK killed any black that crossed their path, in 1868,over a two day period Klansmen killed or wounded two hundred victims. A large pile of twenty five dead bodies was found half buried in the woods. During 1870 in South Carolina the Klan killed six black people, and whipped another three hundred until they could barely walk. Mass killings like these happened regularly all over the South. The members of the Klan took their culture and religion and combined it to create justification for any evil actions they took. Members of the Ku Klux Klan were dedicated to their religion and cause. To get into the Klan a person must take an oath that says, "By my own free will and instance I (NAME) swear, by the mighty God, that I never to anyone will tell by a hint, sign, action or word about the secrets, signs, handshakes, keywords or ceremonies that belongs to the Order, neither that I am a member of this Order, or that I know somebody that is a member. Also I will submit to the regulations for the Order and it's commands." This oath showed that by being a Klan member one must be totally loyal to the cause, your complete way of life. The Klan had sacred rituals in which they would wrap crosses with white bandages and then torch it before they started each meeting. And the official symbol of the Ku Klux Klan was a cross with a drop of blood (representing the blood of Jesus Christ) within a circle. This symbol was meant to represent to totality of the White race.

Another White Supremacist group is the Aryan Nation. According to Ben Klassen founder, his religion (Creativity) is the recognition that the natural destiny of the White Race is to rule the world and thus fulfill the purpose of the universe. To attain this destiny, it is necessary to destroy the enemies and race traitors who prevent this from happening. The primary enemies are Jews, Blacks and other "mud people," and White race traitors, including most Christians. Klassen credits the influence of Hitler's Mein Kampf in the development of his views. Creativity may be a detestable religion, but it can claim to be a religion because it aspires to an understanding of the purpose of life, seeks transcendence, and has an articulated set of beliefs and rituals. Discarding the details, he created a form of "cosmotheism" in which the supreme power is the collective will of the Aryan race. The duty of every member of the Aryan race is to reflect the ideals of the heroic warrior and do battle with the enemies of the race. The group's battle cry is RAHOWA, which stands for RAcial HOly WAr.

In addition to white Supremacy yet another thing to fight black America was the black codes. After the Civil War, in 1865, the southern plantation owners were left with minimal labor. They were bitter over the outcome of the war and wanted to keep African Americans under their control. Black Codes were unique to the southern states, and each state had their own variation of them. In general, the codes compelled the freedmen to work. Any unemployed black could be arrested and charged with vagrancy. The ones that did work had hours, duties, and types of jobs dictated to them. Codes were also developed to restrict blacks from becoming successful. They discouraged owning and selling property, and raising and selling their own crops. Blacks were often prohibited from entering town without written permission from a white employer. A black found after 10 p.m. without a note could be arrested. Permission was even required from a black's employer to live in a town! Section 5 of the Mississippi Black Codes states that every second January, blacks must show proof of residence and employment. If they live in town, a note from the mayor must be provided. If they had ‘irregular' employment (anything other than agriculture or general labor) they must have a contract from the police, which could be revoked for any reason at any time.

Certain black codes pertained to whites as well. It was unlawful for a black to marry a white, or vice versa. Anyone found convicted of the crime could be sent to prison for life. Many contracts were drawn up as ‘permissions' for certain blacks. If a freedman ever broke a work contract, he would be forced to forfeit his wages for one full year. Any civilian was permitted to capture and return freedmen who broke their contract. They were rewarded five dollars plus ten cents for every mile he was captured from his owner. However, if anyone was found attempting to persuade a black to break his contract, or give a deserting black any aid, he/she could be convicted of a misdemeanor and forced to pay a fine. The draftees of the Black Codes in each state were not subtle in their dislike for freedmen. They believed blacks were predestined to be agricultural laborers and under their control. In 1866, federal officials deemed black codes too harsh, and outlawed them. They decided that blacks should receive the same treatment that whites did.

Like unto the black codes were the Jim crow laws were about power. Power of one race over another black under white. The Jim Crow laws were initiated after the civil war during the deconstruction of the new south and they help to create a racial caste system in the South. These laws were protected by the constitution and were a form of constitutional racism. When the Supreme Court ruled on Plessy v. Ferguson the Federal Government legalized racism but under the guise of a doctrine referred to as "separate but equal".

The Jim Crow laws were in place until the Supreme Court of 1954 threw them out with it's ruling on Brown v. The Board of Education.

Institutionalized Racism in relation to the cultural Universals:

One of the major problems involving a cultural universal in America is the need for a new health care system. The number of uninsured Americans needing medical treatment is rising. Medicare, a major part of the American health care system, is projected to go broke in 2019 according to USA Today's article, "Congress refuses to swallow cures for ailing Medicare." Many elderly patients run out of money to support themselves for their long term care. When they go on Medicare, and it's mostly people of color on Medicare only certain treatments and prescription drugs are available. This causes them to not have the best care possible for their illness, threatening a worse condition physically and mentally. The problem with Medicare is that it is not efficient and the next generation of elderly is about to become eligible for Medicare, when there is currently barely enough money to cover the current population of beneficiaries. Medicare is not the only problem with the American health care system. Increasing amounts of uninsured people, increasing prescription drug costs, increasing amounts of prescription drugs per individual, and the trend toward more expensive drugs are some of the other factors troubling the current health care system. Which minorities get the brunt force of impact. I believe some national health care program, which, every citizen would be covered, basic services, including long term care, mental health and dental services, and prescription drugs and supplies. This would in essence have to be a color blind program which excludes income etc.

Another cultural universal in America is the system of education. From what I read I believe that this system needs to be more focused on determining how to create a strategy which provides fairness between disadvantaged black schools and wealthier white middle class schools. And I feel it a shame that the gap between the nation's best and worst public schools continues to grow. Many obvious disparities are seen in today's American black schools, which include overloaded and under funded schools. One of the most significant issues raised in public education in recent years is the radical difference that exists in funding levels between wealthy and poor school districts. "Many states have allotted educational funding related to tax revenues, and this has determined a higher level of educational spending in wealthy neighborhoods and a much lower level of spending for inner-city poor and rural poor communities". Even I personally in higher education can see the difference between York college in south Jamaica and Brooklyn college, which has a much greater white population. I believe one of the most important and central ways of fixing things are with the teachers. Because they are on the front line, having daily contact with students, and are basically the ones that can really revive a school. Text books are really the same caliber across the board, how well you are tested and how much is covered in each course really is up to the teacher, they set the standard of excellence.

Analysis and insights:

In respects to social standing, as a black female I'm in one of the lowest brackets. With all the prejudices already in place against black America, and myself being black I am constantly aware that I have to be twice as good as any one white person. Just to be considered for a spot, where as a white person feels like they are already are entitled to this position, whatever it may be. And to be a female on top of all this makes things harder because I face bios from all males regardless of race whom may feel intimidated by an educated black female. Not even considering that females don't make the same dollar as males.

In respects to my life as it relates to cultural diversity, my most fundamental part of me is my religion, My family is Christian, more specifically Pentecostal. We use the Bible as our central guide, strictly following the rules laid down in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In order to better understand my religion I sometimes tell people that we are a mix between the Christian and Jewish religion. No I am not a "Jews For Jesus," but I do follow some of the things that are commonly associated with the Jewish religion, such as eating strictly Kosher (other wise known as Glatt Kosher) and keeping the Hebrew New Year, Yom Kipper.

In addition to these things I also keep the seventh day Sabbath, which begins at sundown on Friday and ends on sundown Saturday. During this time I do not buy from the store, nor do we cook or do other things that are not pertaining to righteousness. My general belief is that Jesus was sent to earth to live as a man and die for our sins so that we would have a right to the tree of life or heaven. I strongly believe in that fact that each person should live a righteous life and be saved; born of both the water (baptism) and of the spirit (receiving Gods holy spirit) in order to get into heaven.

The corner stone of my belief is the Day of Pentecost, where Jesus died for our sins giving man the promise that he will not leave us comfortless. After his death he would send a comforter which is the Holy Ghost and it will lead and guide us into all truth; with this God will be with us always.

As previously mentioned I'm a Christian so no I do not believe in white supremacy, hatred begets hatred and that's not productive for anyone…..in this course I have learned many things. Such as a cultural lens, just the way I might view things because of my up bringing, and the way others might because of theirs. Why we all just can get along, but how we can tolerate everyone's right to live however they feel. I've truly learn a vast broad of culteral diversity.